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Friday, September 11, 2009

Project 2996 - Remembering Garth Feeney

Today marks the eighth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11,2001. I am again participating in Project 2996 - an online effort to remember those lives lost that day. This is the web site:

http://project2996.wordpress.com/

I was asked to contribute on the story of Garth Feeney.

Garth Feeney was in the Windows on the World Restaurant on the 106th floor of the World Trade Center's north tower. He was director of corporate development for Data Synapse Inc., in Manhattan, a software company. His office was about a mile from the World Trade Center. He was at the World Trade Center participating in a conference; his boss scheduled to speak at noon that day. Along with three co-workers, he had gone ahead to staff a booth for the conference.

In an article in the St. Petersburg Times online, readers became aware that his mother, Judy Feeney, learned of the attacks on the World Trade Center while watching Good Morning America after her coming in from her morning walk. She is described as a resident of Lansbrook and 57 years old. Her husband, also named Garth, 56.

Garth was able to phone his mother and tell her that he and about 70 others were led into a corner of the building with less smoke. He said he didn't know if he'd make it out and that he loved her. That was the last time she spoke with her son.

Feeney graduated in 1991 from East Lake High School. He was captain of the varsity swim team, played soccer and tennis, was in the National Honor Society and named the Army Scholar Athlete of the Year in 1991, according to the article.

He went on to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor's degree in engineering and also in business from Wharton School. He was a literacy tutor for adults while in college and established an after-school program for less fortunate children.

He was employed for the company, Data Synapse, less than a year.

He last visited with his parents in July of that year, attending his 10 year high school reunion. Before that he was in Florida to watch his brother Matthew graduate from Saint Leo University - Chris Matthews of MSNBC was the graduation speaker.

Garth Feeney was survived by his parents, two borthers, his grandmother, five uncles, five aunts and 18 cousins, plus his girlfriend of 3 1/2 years.

She was the daughter of old friends. Heather left a howling gaping void in the lives of the people who loved her - countless friends, her parents, younger brother, aunts, uncles, cousins and her fiance'. They had just set their wedding date a few weeks before 9/11 - had even booked a location.

I worked with Garth after college. He dragged me out of the office one weekend and taught me how to rollerblade in Central Park. I can't think of my time living in NYC w/o thinking of him. He was too intertwined with fun memories. I miss you Garth!

I was talking to Perry Dotson today who is a professional at a golf course and he said he was in california at a course with grath's brother when the plane hit and he told me how garth called his mom and since im going to the memorial in a month i thought id see if there was anything on here about garth